2. 1. NOTICE WHAT YOU
LIKE AND DISLIKE ABOUT THE PHOTO
To begin a photo critique, you should examine the
photo and acknowledge it’s strengths, as well as it’s
weaknesses. After doing this, create a mental list of what
you feel works for the photo, and what doesn’t.
3. 2. COMMENT ON THE EXPOSURE
When it comes to taking photographs, lighting can be
essential in making or breaking a photo. If a photo is
underexposed it may be hard to see important details within the
subject, taking away from the value. If the photo is overexposed,
the picture may seem too light and the colors may make the
subject look very different from the actual subject.
4. 5. POSITIONING
When looking at the photo, you should notice whether the main
point in the image is positioned in an artistic, or professional way. This
could mean being completely centered, or off to one side a bit more. The
positioning of the photo should look neat and purposeful. If the main
focus of the object is awkwardly placed, make sure to take note of that.
Using the rule of thirds can also be helpful in determining whether the
photo is properly positioned.
5. 3. FOCUS ON THE FOCUS
Another major part to touch on when critiquing a
photograph is whether or not the picture is in focus. This aspect
is very easy to determine; if the photo seems blurry, then it is
most likely out of focus. But, if every aspect of the is clear, then
the subject is in focus. It is also important to notice which parts
of the photo are in focus and which parts are not.
6. 4. DOES THE PHOTOGRAPHER GET THEIR
POINT ACROSS?
It is also important to
determine the message the
photographer is trying to send
when taking the photo. If the
photo seems irrelevant to the
relating topic, make sure to
include that within your critique.
7. SAMPLE CRITIQUE 1.
This is a photograph of two men I found
in the chapter. It looks to be an old photo
due to the clothing the men are wearing, as
well as the quality of the photo. I find the
picture to be interesting because it induces
the audience to ask questions. I want to
know who the men are and how they relate
to each other. I also wonder what the man
on the right is thinking about as he looks
into the distant. The subjects in the photo
capture my attention, an essential part of
photography. The positioning of the photo
is also set up well. Both men are even
distributed on both sides of the photograph.
It is also very focused, there are no signs of
any blur. Although a good photo, the one
thing I would change would be the lighting.
The photograph is a bit underexposed,
making it hard to see distinguishing
features of both men.
8. SAMPLE CRITIQUE 2.
This is a landscape
photo that is filled
with color and
depth. I really
enjoy looking at this
photo due to the
contrast of color. It
seems to be a city
scene, but the
streets are
somewhat empty.
The photographer
used the focus of the camera to make the picture much more
interesting to look out. Only the simple puddle reflecting the
lights is in focus, while the background lights are out of focus
creating an abstract image. Overall, I really like this photo to
the creativity the photographer used
9. SAMPLE CRITIQUE 3.
This photograph was taken by a
professional photographer that I
found online. Although the subject
of this picture is simple, it is also
very interesting to look at due to
the lighting of the picture. The
photographer sets up the light in a
way so that we can see the
reflection of the mug, giving the
photo depth. The photo is all
around, in total focus, making it
look neat & professional. It is also
perfectly centered, and is neither
over or underexposed.
